


Hypnotized | MIRACULOUS LADYBUG

by junkwhoore



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste Needs Help, Akumatized Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst and Romance, Angst and Tragedy, Bad Parent Gabriel Agreste, Bisexual Lila Rossi, Chloé Bourgeois Being Chloé Bourgeois, Chloé Bourgeois Redemption, Corruption, Corruption Arc, Cross-Posted on Wattpad, Dark Miraculous Ladybug, Dragon Kagami Tsurugi | Ryuko, Drama & Romance, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Manipulation, Episode Fix-It: s03 Caméléon | Chameleon, Episode: s03 Caméléon | Chameleon, Eventual Romance, Evil Lila Rossi, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Fox Lila Rossi, Gabriel Agreste Loses His Miraculous, Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth Being Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth, Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth Identity Reveal, Gay Awakening, Good Chloé Bourgeois, Hawk Moth is Gabriel Agreste, Heavy Angst, Hot Mess Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Hurt Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Jealous Lila Rossi, Jealous Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Lesbian Chloé Bourgeois, Lila Rossi Lies, Lila Rossi Redemption, Lila Rossi's Lies Are Exposed, Lucky Charm And Miraculous Ladybugs Cure | Ladybug Miraculous Superpowers Don't Fix Everything, Luka Couffaine Loves Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, M/M, Manipulation, Manipulative Friends, Manipulative Lila Rossi, Manipulative Relationship, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug Makes Assumptions, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug Makes Mistakes, Marinette Isn’t Innocent, Minor Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth/Nathalie Sancoeur, Miraculous Holder Chloé Bourgeois, Miraculous Ladybug Love Square, Miraculous Rewrite, Miraculous Team, Miraculous salt, Multi, New Butterfly Miraculous Holder, New Peacock Miraculous Holder - Freeform, One-Sided Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Lila Rossi, Originally Posted on Wattpad, Peacock Miraculous, Post-Episode: s03 Caméléon | Chameleon, Protective Gabriel, Romance, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Snake Luka Couffaine | Viperion, Stolen Miraculouses (Miraculous Ladybug), new Hawkmoth
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-11
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:15:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28001523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/junkwhoore/pseuds/junkwhoore
Summary: 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔'𝐑𝐄 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐎𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐄 𝐀 𝐋𝐈𝐀𝐑, 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐍𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐒𝐘𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐘. 𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐘𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐋 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐑 𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐄 𝐒𝐄𝐋𝐅 𝐀𝐒 𝐀 𝐋𝐈𝐀𝐑-𝐇𝐈𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐁𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇 𝐀 𝐋𝐀𝐘𝐄𝐑𝐎𝐅 𝐃𝐄𝐂𝐄𝐈𝐓 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐒𝐄𝐋𝐅𝐈𝐒𝐇𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒𝙒𝙃𝙀𝙍𝙀 𝙈𝘼𝙍𝙄𝙉𝙀𝙏𝙏𝙀 𝙈𝙐𝙎𝙏𝙅𝙐𝙂𝙂𝙇𝙀 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙏𝘼𝙎𝙆𝙎 𝙊𝙁 𝘽𝙀𝙄𝙉𝙂𝙇𝘼𝘿𝙔𝘽𝙐𝙂 𝘼𝙉𝘿 𝘿𝙀𝘽𝙐𝙉𝙆𝙄𝙉𝙂𝙇𝙄𝙇𝘼'𝙎 𝙇𝙄𝙀𝙎 𝘽𝙀𝙁𝙊𝙍𝙀 𝙄𝙏'𝙎 𝙏𝙊𝙊𝙇𝘼𝙏𝙀 𝘼𝙉𝘿 𝙎𝙃𝙀 𝙄𝙎 𝘼𝘽𝘼𝙉𝘿𝙊𝙉𝙉𝙀𝘿
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Alya Césaire & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Nino Lahiffe, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Kagami Tsurugi, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Nino Lahiffe, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Kagami Tsurugi, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe, Chloé Bourgeois & Lila Rossi, Chloé Bourgeois & Sabrina Raincomprix, Felix/Original Character(s), Juleka Couffaine/Rose Lavillant, Lila Rossi/Original Female Character(s), Luka Couffaine & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Luka Couffaine/Kagami Tsurugi, Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Marc Anciel/Nathaniel Kurtzberg, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Kagami Tsurugi, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Lila Rossi, Max Kanté/Sabrina Raincomprix
Comments: 10
Kudos: 56





	1. THE BEGINNING OF THE END

**Author's Note:**

> My first Miraculous Salt fanfiction. I’ve seen a lot of them on Tumblr, and they’ve been getting a little repetitive, so I decided to make my own to see if I do any good. This story will have two parts; you are currently reading the version that focuses on Marinette and her friend group. The other one will be focusing on Lila and her friend group. I hope you enjoy; for early access, follow my Wattpad 1800SADOMASOCHIST

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A foreshadowing chapter of things yet to come

_What is depression?_

_It's your mind trying to die while your body is struggling to survive; it's analogous to drowning, except no one can see your struggle. Depression is like plummeting into an eerie, horrifying darkness, afraid that it will devour you whole. It dines upon all your fears and insecurities, cackling and taunting you endlessly. It was a demon that prowled within the chasms of your mentality, awaiting the perfect opportunity to pounce and plunge its teeth into you, leaving you weak and defenseless to its cruel nature._

_Marinette was suffocating._

_Knees were huddled against her chest, slender digits lost in the sea of navy blue hair that had been unkempt and wiry for numerous weeks, figure quivering furiously. At the same time, tears endlessly streamed down her cheeks, dripping off her chin and onto the bathroom floor. Her gut-wrenching sobs reverberated off the walls and back into her ears, saturating her in her thoughts. In the cruel and unmerciful words that were hurled at her, Marinette felt herself crumbling._

_How could I be friends with such a bully? You're the liar here._

_Not cool, dudette. And to think, I had feelings for you._

_Was this all just a lie? You like us and being our friend? I would never have thought you would have such an ugly beast laying dormant in your heart._

_Ever since Lila came here, you've been hostile towards her because she has eyes for Adrien. How insecure and jealous are you?_

_The series of words swirled within her brain, crashing into her skull as the familiar sound of Lila's laughter echoed within the back of her mind, her threat ever so present._

_If you even dare try to expose me, I will make sure that this little plan of yours fails. I will destroy you and your entire being. Your friends will reject you and leave you to rot like the trash you are, and soon, Adrien will be mine, and that's a promise. It's not that hard, Marinette; you're not as stupid as the others, so I'm giving you two choices: you're either with me or against you. I'm giving you until the end of school today, but I'm sure you'll make the right verdict in the end if you're wise enough. Will you make the right choice or the dreadfully wrong one? I guess we'll have to wait and see, now won't we?_

_For once, Lila had been speaking the truth; all of her friends—including her best friend, the one person Marinette thought she could rely on in difficult times such as these—had forsaken her for the real villain, feeding into her lies every time she uttered a word. Whenever Marinette dares to expose her, the waterworks would pour out like water from a faucet, playing the 'woe is me' card whenever confronted. Lila's tongue spun a web of lies, efficiently capturing her fellow peers within its sticky grasp, and they were none the wiser, trapped within her sticky strands of lies._

_She was slowly ostracized, becoming a threat—a stranger—amongst her former friends; the burning flares and cruel whispers that stabbed and prodded at her was unbearable—unfathomable. Marinette thought that they would believe her! She would never lie unless it were to conceal her secret identity or if it was to sneak off to fight an akuma, but she would never lie about something so severe, nor would she ever purposely harm someone._

_"I don't know what to do, Tikki," the sobbing blue-haired baker sobbed, burying her face deep within her soaked arms, chest wanting to cave in. "I'm so lost and—and so alone. Why don't they believe me?" Her brain was a mess, an endless hurricane that mocked her, humiliating her._

_Why? Why wouldn't they believe her? They all should have known better; Marinette would never lie, nor would she bully anyone. Alya, even Alya, believed Lila over her, and she had dared utter the words, "Girl, you know I always got your back. I'll never leave your side, no matter what."_

_"Tikki, it hurts so much. I can't think I can't eat! Sleeping is too painful—their voices come amid the night and ridicule me, tearing me down and ripping me apart. My chest wants to collapse—Tikki, I want to die! I want all of this pain to end," Marinette broke down, the tears raining down harder, broken sobs escaping her throat while she gripped the strands of hair harshly, yanking and tugging. "It doesn't matter—my life doesn't matter anymore; I don't matter to anyone. No one would care if I was gone. They all want me dead anyway, isn't that right? They could care less if I was dead, left out for the crows to eat. I—I thought they would never leave me, Tikki—"_

_"Marinette—"_

_"I can't—I can't keep doing this anymore! I'm tired of living in this world that wants to drown me and make me feel inferior. I'm tired of suffering, of being alone, of crying my eyes out every night! I'm tired of this constant harassment because one girl is out to ruin me— Lila won. She got what she wanted and then some," she sniffed, "Lila was the victor in the end. She has won the battle and the war."_

_Tikki was frightened—concerned. She needed to snap Marinette out of this. To pull her back into the light and save her before she was akumatized. The red kwamii couldn't stand the thought of that wicked man controlling her friend, filling her brain with nothing but lies and empty promises._

_Vengeance was only temporary; regret could last a lifetime._

_"Marinette, please. I don't wanna lose you; you're my friend, and I care about you!" Tikki cried, her big, bright, blue eyes bubbling over with salty tears. She had lost so many holders before her, many to old age, sickness, natural disasters, and suicide/depression. The creation kwamii did not want to lose Marinette so early; she had so much to live for still—so much to explore._

_Marinette lifted her head, offering a sad and broken smile, the pain reflecting in her bluebell orbs that were glossed over. She opened her mouth, going to speak when her eyes widened, forcing her to scramble to her feet and press herself against the wall._

_There was an akuma, and it had its sight set on Marinette._


	2. HORRIBLE KIDS

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What was supposed to be a peaceful evening with Adrien Agreste has turned into something more sinister, and it only gets worse from here on in.

Lila's words had resonated in Marinette's brain after de-akumatizing her when she (Lila) had been transformed into Chameleon by Hawkmoth. They were unforgettable, tormenting her within her dreams. Of course, Marinette didn't believe Lila at first. Then, it dawned on her how easily Lila had convinced everyone around her that she was telling the truth. It didn't matter what Marinette said; Lila always managed to find a way to counter Marinette's claim, shifting the blame onto the blue-haired baker and made her out to be the villain.

No matter what Marinette said, Lila always had a retort and escaped being exposed once again. This erratic behavior, in turn, had caused Alya to doubt Marinette and her morals but, she never dared to ask her flat out as she didn't want to appear rude, mostly because she and Marinette had been friends for a year now. Indeed, Marinette must have had her reasonings for trying to expose Lila, or perhaps it was just because Marinette didn't appreciate how close Lila and Adrien were? After all, Marinette had was known to get possessive over their classmate, but Alya had more trust in her friend.

"Girl, I'm telling you: Lila isn't interested in Adrien, trust me. She enjoys his photos and admires his work as you do," Alya waved off, crossing her legs while Marinette responded with a low grunt, folding her arms across her chest.

"Whatever you say, Alya. I'd rather not focus on her right now and focus more on what I'm going to wear for my outing tonight. I still can't believe that Adrien agreed to go to the movies with me, and what's better is that his father agreed to let him go out," Marinette prattled, her pale cheeks turning a rosy shade of red, and she squealed gleefully. This situation had been the first time Marinette had been able to utter a single sentence without fumbling over her words and making a complete fool of herself. Her heartbeat was soaring, blood pounding within her ears, and electricity tingled throughout her veins. A date with Adrien had always been Marinette's dream but, she never expected it to happen so soon; well, she couldn't exactly call it a date, but it was the next best thing to one, she supposed.

Alya, seeing how happy her best friend was, laughed, squeezing Marinette's shoulders tenderly, and planted a seat next to her. "Well, for starters, you can't possibly wear this," Alya asserted, tugging at the soft, white shirt Marinette wore underneath her usual, short, gray cardigan. "This is your first date—ever from what you've told me—and you have to look your absolute best. So, let's see what we can create out of your wardrobe," the blogger declared, adjusting her glasses and tugged Marinette over to her pink, flower-decorated chest and unlatched the locks.

Unmistakably, the blue-haired girl had her head in the clouds, barely paying attention to Alya's rambling as she could only fantasize about how her outing with Adrien would go. She hoped that they would be able to hold hands and grow closer as friends after this experience, and hopefully, Marinette would be able to work up the courage to tell Adrien her feelings if things went well.

"Oh, girl! You could wear this; You would look absolutely killer in this!" Alya exclaimed, holding up a pair of slightly ripped, blue jeans with a black, off-the-shoulder shirt with her trademark, pale pink ballet flats. A simple outfit, but yet it was fashionable nonetheless, and Marinette nodded her head in approval. With a simple thumbs-up, Marinette darted behind the folding screen, stripping out of her school clothes, and let down her pigtails. "Now, once you're all dressed, we can move on to your hair and makeup situation. I've been perusing through some trending fashion pins on Pinterest lately, and I found so many makeup ideas that would look so good on you, especially because of your eyes; you're going to be amazing once I'm through."

Marinette giggled, "I sure hope so. It's a bit baffling that he agreed to go out with me and his father approved."

"Mari, have you not seen yourself? You're fearless and sweet and super cool to hang out with."

"Yeah, right. I'm awkward, and I can barely speak to Adrien without making a complete fool out of myself," Marinette retorted, moving from behind the folding screen, and neatly set her discarded clothes on top of the chest, smoothing out the wrinkles in her shirt. Marinette was notorious for making a complete fool of herself in front of Adrien. She would go red in the face and stumble over her words, but, thankfully, Adrien didn't think she was a fool and quite often appreciated the junior designer's company. "Still, I'm glad that I finally get a chance to hang out with him."

Alya led Marinette to her mirror and stool, motioning for the blue-haired girl to sit as she brushed through her lush, blue ringlets with a pink, bristled brush. "You just have to act casual and keep a cool head. Don't go over the top when it comes to flirting--it never goes well in the end--and make sure that you both have fun. That's the key to a fun date," she explained, "Now, do you have a flat iron or a curling iron? I think you would great with some curls or maybe even a middle part."

"In the bathroom, under the sink. I have both if you want to try. To be honest, I'm too scared to ever try and use heat on my hair."

Alya retreated to the bathroom, promptly returning with the sleek curling iron in hand and a rat-tail comb, plugging in the handheld device, the reddish-brown haired girl set about separating Marinette's hair into smaller sections, pinning the hair back, and working her magic on her best friend's hair. The process was tedious, considering how fidgety Marinette was, but Alya managed to finish before the clock struck four. Letting out a satisfied sigh, Alya took a step back and admired her work, fingering the curls gently. "Alright, we got the hair situation under control. Now, for your makeup. From what this post suggests, warm colors such as orange, copper, coral, and bronze will help brighten your eyes. But, if we want to intensify your eye color, we should use cool tones like blue, turquoise, and grey/silver," she listed off, setting down her phone and broke out her supplies of makeup brushes and available eyeshadow palettes. Laying down the eye primer and concealer on Marinette's eyes, she held up two eyeshadow palettes: one that contained mostly neutral colors. At the same time, the other had several blues and one silver shimmer. "Which one do you prefer?"

Marinette hummed, tapping the bottom of her lip before responding, "I think turquoise and silver would be the best option. Work your magic."

Alya cracked her fingers and began to work, cutting Marinette's crease with concealer, lining her eyes with kohl black eyeliner, and swiped her eyelashes with volumizing eyes. "Voila! All finished! We can always put some foundation, bronzer, contour, blush, and maybe even some highlighter—"

"No, I think it's perfect just the way it is," Marinette said with awe, tucking a single curl behind her ear. Marinette always enjoyed Alya's makeup skills, and she was impressed with the result each time. "Do you think I should wear lipstick or maybe even lipgloss?"

Alya shook her head, "I don't think so. You already have pink lips that already complement your makeup. Plus, you wouldn't want to get it on your teeth when you're going in for a kiss."

Marinette flushed profusely, stuttering as she flailed her arms about and yelled, "there's no way that I would even get a chance to do something like that with Adrien! It's just hanging out as friends and having a good time!"

" _Suuuure_ ," Alya taunted, assisting Marinette to her feet, and examined her one last time. She hummed to herself, feeling as if something was missing but, she couldn't put her tongue on it. "I think you're missing some jewelry. Oh! You could wear these earrings I bought last month! I wore them once, but they didn't look good on me but, I'm convinced that they would look fantastic on you!" she proposed, searching in her backpack for the golden hoop earrings that had rose ornaments attached.

"I think I'll stick to the ones I have right now. They're—um—they're a sacred heirloom that has been passed down to the daughter in my family when they come of age," Marinette lied, without missing a beat, caressing her blackened earrings. "Besides, I think you did an astounding job as well," she responded, hugging her best friend tightly, "Thank you so much for your help, Alya. I swear, I would be a lost cause if it wasn't for you."

"No sweat, Marinette. Now, let's get you over to the movie theater. The previews are always the best part before the movie starts, aaaand you can get some alone with Adrien," Alya teased, enjoying how Marinette burned red and playfully swatted her arm. The two then laughed, made their way downstairs as Sabine bade them goodbye, and made their way towards the movie theater.

Marinette was a sweating mess; her heart rate quickening while her cheeks burned red; her stomach twisted in knots, butterflies swarming about in her stomach. She couldn't do this; no, there was absolutely no way that Marinette could survive a date with Adrien. She loved the boy to pieces; there was no doubt about that but, her chest tightened once they were closer to the movie theatre; grabbing Alya's arm, Marinette hissed, "Alya, I can't do this! I'm going to make a complete fool of myself!"

"No way, girl! I didn't spend two hours on your hair and makeup for nothing!" Alya snapped, dragging the poor, blue-haired girl down the street, merely ignoring her protests. When Alya has made up her mind, she was not going against her word; she was absolute.

Adrien was already waiting in front of the movie theater, waving when he saw Marinette. She could feel her heart thumping, her throat going dry as Alya pushed her forward, urging her to go on.

"You two better, have fun!" Alya yelled, waving the two off as Marinette swallowed the lump in her throat.

With shaking hands, she waved at the model, lips contorting into a soft smile. "Hey, Adrien," Marinette greeted, her heart hammering against her chest; she needed to calm down. If she didn't act like a stuttering mess, this outing would go smoothly, and hopefully, she would be able to do this more often with Adrien. "Did I keep you waiting too long?" she asked.

"Not at all! I got here five minutes ago," was his reply, taking Marinette's hand, and led her side—if she could. Marinette would have passed out then and there—maneuvering around the couples that stood near the entrance, idly charting to one another. "So, any movie you want to see in particular?"

Marinette hummed, "Probably a comedy movie, or an action movie?"

"I'm down with either choice!" Adrien answered, pulling Marinette to the front counter.

The blue-haired baker felt her cheeks burn, a red hue adorning her pale skin as Adrien smiled at her; that smile was going to be the death of Marinette. She just knew it. The air around them was cold. Marinette stepped closer to Adrien, their arms brushing against each other. "Oh! Sorry!" she quickly apologized.

Adrien brushes it, flashing a gentle smile. "Oh, you're fine, Marinette. It is a little cold in here," he added, handing the baker girl his light jacket. "Here, you can use my jacket."

"What—no, no! You should take it," Marinette argues, handing the model back his jacket. The both of them went back and forth, passing the coat back and forth until Adrien forcibly draped the jacket across Marinette's shoulder. "But Adrien—"

"No _buts_. You're cold, and I can handle this weather," Adrien riposted, walking Marinette to the front counter. The model purchased a large bucket of popcorn for the two to share, along with two boxes of candy, before taking their tickets and led Marinette to their designated room.

A few spots were taken, but other than that, the room was practically empty. "We should sit over here," Marinette suggested, leading Adrien to the middle of the theatre, taking a seat next to a quiet brunette. The two got comfortable in their seats; Adrien set the popcorn between them, and they happily munched on their buttery treat.

"Well, well, well, it's nice to see you here, Adrien. Marinette."

The baker felt her blood run cold. Out of all the places Marinette had to run into her, why did it have to be now?

"Hey Lila, I didn't know you like action movies," Adrien laughed while Lila smiled.

"I enjoy some action movies, but Nana wanted me to spend time with my cousin today; you remember Selene, right?" Lila questioned as a dark-haired Italian girl came walking down the aisle with two large colas, sitting next to Lila. "Oh, hey, Selene. We were just talking about you," she cooed.

Selene rolled her eyes, handing Lila her cola. "Stop trying to act buddy-buddy with me; I just want to watch the previews in peace," she muttered, crossing her legs.

Lila poked out her cheeks. "Oh, you're so mean, Selene. And here I thought you loved me," she playfully whined.

"Love is a strong word. Tolerate is looking a little weak here," was Selene's blunt response.

Marinette promptly stood up, excusing herself to the bathroom. Once behind closed doors, she gingerly ran her fingers through her heart, breathing harshly. This was terrible; Marinette didn't want to deal with Lila, nor did she want to be buddy-buddy with her. Her cousin, Selene, was tolerable (to an extent) as the Italian gothic girl believed Marinette over her lying cousin. With a heavy sigh, the baker's daughter took a step away from the mirror and cringed when she saw Lila behind her.

"Good thing I caught you here alone, Marinette. I wanted to talk with you in private," Lila cooed, a fox-like smile stretching across her lips as she locked the door behind her. She closed the gap between them, forcing Marinette against the bathroom wall; with a cold, taunting laugh, Lila slammed one hand against the wall. "See, I was going to wait until school tomorrow; let you get all fidgety during the movie, but I don't like to wait, so I'll let you know this now: this is war. I already gave you your warning, but you still decided to hang out with Adrien."

Marinette swallowed the lump in her throat. "Adrien isn't _yours_ , and I'll tell everyone you're threatening me. Adrien _hates_ liars," she challenged.

Lila mocked her with a laugh, curling a strand of Marinette's hair around her index finger. "Oh, but who would believe you? The way I see it, I can use your crush against you. Everyone knows you're hopelessly in love with Adrien—you're _obsessed_ with him," she snickered, leaning forward, their noses brushing against each other. "Do you think anyone would believe you if they found that you're obsessed with Adrien? I can always say that the real reason you hate me is that I find Adrien attractive, and you want him all for yourself. You and I both know that I'm not lying when I say that, Marinette."

She made a fair point, Marinette would admit. Alya knew that Marinette was hopelessly in love with Adrien, and she had witnessed Marinette going to greats lengths to ensure that Adrien would be hers and hers alone. Marinette was positive that Alya would call her out on calling Adrien "her only love."

Lila laughed, pulling on Marinette's curls. "Just you wait; you're going to end up all alone, and Adrien will be all mine, Marinette," she promised before exited the bathroom with a sashay.

Marinette felt her body tremble; Lila truly scared her. She was manipulative, and the scary thing is that everyone would believe Lila's word over Marinette's. The baker needed to get her emotions under control; there was no need to attract an akuma. She exhaled, tucking a curl behind her ear, and exited the bathroom.

When she came back to the theatre, Marinette nervously waved at Adrien and ate some popcorn. Being in the same room as Lila made her nervous, but Marinette didn't want to ruin this outing. She figured that if she ignored Lila's presence, her trip with Adrien would be perfect.

Just as the last preview started, there was a terrible scream from the back. Both Adrien and Marinette turned around, finding an akumatized villain roaring, smacking away several seats, and charging down the aisles. The two managed to sneak out and go to separate locations to transform.

"Tikki spots on!"

"Plagg claws out!"

The partners met up and gave each other a fist bump; Ladybug ignored Chat Noir's flirting as she unclipped her yo-yo from her waist. "So, shall we party with the hatter, Kitty?" Ladybug teased.

"Absolutely, M'lady," Chat responded, twirling his baton.

The Victorian-styled villain clicked his tongue, tapping his cane on the armrest of the seats. "Oh, Ladybug and Chat Noir! I do have a bone to pick with you, but I need to see Lila Rossi at my feet this instance; I know she's here. I saw her here; that desperate wench has caused my sweet Alice to cry," he hissed, his heterochromatic blue-green eyes glazed over with a certain depth of insanity as he stalked towards the crowd of students. "Failure to comply with my wishes will result in this." Raising his staff, the pastel blue-haired male shot a ball of red light energy at an unsuspecting citizen who let out a loud gasp as her body was altered into that of a fancy, orange-and-white teacup with a matching plate. "One by one, I will turn you into residences of my wonderland, and Lila will play the ultimate price for making my sweet Alice cry."

Chat Noir laughed, leaning on his staff. "Didn't realize that we fell down the rabbit hole, eh Ladybug? How about we crush his tea party and go out later?" he purred.

"Less talking, more fighting," Ladybug ordered, the three of them taking a battle stance.

The violet butterfly outline appeared on the villain's face, and Hawkmoth's voice rang out, "Get me their miraculous, Mad Hatter!"

"Yes, Hawkmoth."


	3. UPSIDE DOWN

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruined tea parties, a taste for vengeance, blossoming romances, and new students enrolling, this is a recipe for disaster.

It was a nightmare, fighting Mad Hatter and making sure to keep Lila out of his clutches. Ladybug and Chat Noir played his torturous cat and mouse game, evading the little surprises he laid out for the duo. It was even more complicated when Lila kept protesting, demanding Ladybug to drop her (she did have half a mind to do as the Italian girl asked but didn't; she was better than that), but Chat Noir firmly told Lila no. The villain cooed, tapping his silver cane against the undisturbed seats, walking up and down the aisles, promising that he wouldn't hurt Lila.

Well, _much_ , at least.

While Ladybug kept her hand clamped over Lila's mouth, Chat Noir searched for an exit. They needed to get Lila out of the theatre before Mad Hatter found their hiding spot; squished underneath the seats wasn't very comfortable for any of them. The cat hero counted the victorian villain's steps, mumbling under his breath with each step Mad Hatter took. Chat Noir could tell he was deliberately walking slow, torturing the three of them. The villain was the hunter, and the heroes (excluding Lila) were his prey. Chat Noir knew the feeling; after all, he did wield the ring of the black cat.

"M'Lady, I think for this to work, we'll need to let Lila go," Chat whispered, green eyes searching for Mad Hatter. "She's the source of his anger, so if we let her go first to escape, he'll be fixated on her, and we can get the jump on him."

Lila was _not_ a fan of that idea. She tried screaming, but Ladybug kept her hand pressed against the other girl's mouth, trying to hold her down. The blue-haired heroine hated using brute force, but what other choice did she have? Lila was incredibly stubborn, thrashing and writhing underneath Ladybug's stronghold. The commotion was enough to alert Mad Hatter, his laugh—an empty and hollow sound—filling the desolate theatre. " _Ohoho_ , and here I thought the three of you slipped away from me. I was feeling rather lonely in here, walking up and down these aisles," he mocked, smoothing his gloved fingers against the blackened brooch. The corners of his lips pulled into a sadistic smile upon seeing Chat Noir's makeshift tail peek from under the seats.

"My, my, hiding under the seats, are we?" he sneered, yanking the blonde hero from his hiding spot, and flashed an icy smile. "Look what I caught by his tail, a cute little Chat Noir," Mad Hatter mocked.

Releasing Lila and ordering her to run, Ladybug rolled out from under the seats and threw her handy yo-yo at Mad Hatter, the toy smacking his hand. "Can't have you hurting my partner like that," Ladybug declared, yanking her weapon back when Chat Noir was released from Mad Hatter's grip. The blonde joined his partner, extending his baton. With a haunting laugh, Mad Hatter coaxed the heroes.

"Come now; I have better things to take care of, like Lila. Don't think I've forgotten about her."

Lunging forward, the three of them engaged in battle. Mad Hatter had the upper hand, fending them both off as he cackled hysterically. "Damn, he's pretty good," Chat Noir pointed out, pirouetting while Ladybug bent backward, Mad Hatter's cane barely brushing against her face. It was nervewracking, chilling their blood as the villain chuckled. "So, how should we take down this guy. M'lady?"

Tossing her yo-yo, Ladybug called upon the power of her Lucky Charm. With a red-and-pink shimmer, she quickly caught the smoke pellets and raised an eyebrow, clearly confused. She knew how to use the bulbs, of course, but it seemed too easy. Whatever, if it got the job done, Ladybug would find a way to end this fight quickly. Hastily, she ordered Chat Noir to activate his Cataclysm and charge out the room; the red heroine would follow suit.

With Mad Hatter hot on their heels, Ladybug gave Chat Noir a knowing look, and he took care of the rest. When she tossed the smoke bombs, the feline hero scrapped his fingers along the ground, watching the floor give away. The Victorian villain let out a strangled squeal, fruitlessly grasping the wall, attempting to stabilize himself against the wall. With the pastel blue-haired focused on his posture and composure, Ladybug lassoed her yo-yo around his slender waist, yanking him forward as Chat Noir snatched the brooch, smashing the jewel beneath his foot.

They were grateful that the battle was finally over.

A malevolent black-purple butterfly wriggled out, trying to escape Ladybug's soft gaze, but she smiled, toying with the yo-yo before capturing the small insect, liberating it from evil. "Time to de-evilize!" the pigtailed heroine giggled, popping the toy open and waved, unable to hold back her laughter before she reversed the damage, saying her final farewells. A pink-and-red swarm washing over the movie theatre and the former villain, returning him to his civilian form. Hoisting him to his feet, Ladybug patted his back, smiling. "You okay?"

The high-school boy nodded his head, scratching his head sheepishly. "Yeah, I'm fine now. Thank you both," he laughed, cheeks blooming a pretty shade of carnation pink.

"No problem. Always happy to help," Chat Noir stated, giving the high schooler a two-finger salute before his ring beeped. A frown settled on his lips, eyebrows knitted together as he looked up at Ladybug. There was no need for words to be exchanged as she gave him a knowing look, reassuring the blonde hero that she could take care of the rest (he hated that he would have to leave the rest to her; Chat was perfectly capable of assisting too). "I'll see you tonight?" he asked.

Ladybug nodded, helping the pastel blue-haired boy to his feet, wiping the dust off his shoulders. "Of course, Chat. You and I are partners, after all, and patrol wouldn't be the same without you," she giggled, shooing him off. "Now, get going before you transform back; we can't know each other's secret identities." She knew how much Chat wanted to know who she was beneath that strong facade, but they couldn't reveal themselves. It would put their families and friends in mortal danger.

That and she didn't want to disappoint Paris. No one would ever believe that she, Marinette Dupain Cheng, the clumsy baker's daughter, was capable of saving their city. Just thinking about it made Ladybug laugh.

Once she helped the civilian out of the building, and he went on his merry way, the red heroine slipped inside a vacant bathroom stall, making sure all the adjacent stalls were void of any life. She allowed herself to let go of her heroine persona, a blinding pink light washing over her as she caught the exhausted kwamii in her petite hands. "Oh, Tikki, you're tired," she murmured benevolently, stroking the curve of her cheek. Thankfully, Marinette prepared a small bag of cookies for her tiny friend and fed the kwamii a chocolate chip cookie. Wiping the crumbs from Tikki's cheeks, the young fashion designer slipped the kwamii back into her purse and poked her head out of the bathroom, deciding to regroup with Adrien.

Unfortunately, the theatre had to close due to the akuma attack, but that didn't bother either Marinette or Adrien. Adrien had an hour left before his curfew. "We can always go walk around the park, or we can get some ice cream from Andre's," the model suggested.

"Yeah, I would love that—"

" _Adrien_! That akuma attack was terrible; I was so scared!" came Lila's voice, high and whiny as she latched onto Adrien's arm, burrowing her face into his thin chest. With watery eyes, she looked up at the model, ignoring Marinette's irritated glances, and adjusted her grip on his limb. "It was sooo scary; Ladybug practically manhandled me and forced me to be squished against her body underneath the seats. I have a phobia of closed spaces, and I had a panic attack; she didn't even care about how I felt," she added.

Marinette knitted her eyebrows. Of course, she cared about people's safety, but Lila was difficult and wouldn't keep still. For crying out loud, Lila kept thrashing underneath the seats. Was it the best course of action? No, and Marinette would wholeheartedly admit that she was in the wrong for that part, but she did care. If she didn't, she simply could have let Mad Hatter take her hostage, but Marinette didn't because she wanted to keep everyone safe.

Even liars like Lila deserved protections from villains (Marinette considered the Italian girl to be a villain, but that was neither here nor there).

"Well, at least you got out safe and sound," the model replied, nervously scratching his head with his free hand, looking over at Marinette with sheepish expression; Adrien was never good with girls, nor did he know how to pick up on most social cues. He was stuck with a girl clinging to his arm, cooing over him as Marinette steamed, folding her arms across her chest.

She needed to reel back her emotions; Lila would easily use it against her, and Lila was unfortunately right. Marinette had made Adrien her obsession--one could say she was addicted. It was disturbing how attached to the model she was; she had his entire life schedule memorized like the back of her hand. It was a severe problem.

"Lila, we need to get home. Nana is calling us," Selene called, shaking her phone. The younger cousin scoffed, sticking her tongue out at her older cousin, daring her to rip her out of Adrien's arms, adjusting her grip on the poor boy's limb.

"Oh, can't you ask Nana to give us another hour to stay out? I already finished my homework for tonight," Lila pouted, batting her eyelashes.

Selene sighed, rolling her eyes. "Fine, but I don't want to hear you complain about how you missed your special meeting with Prince Achu again," she retorted, re-dialing their Nana's number. That caught Lila's attention as she released Adrien's arm, ran to Selene, and dragged her away, saying goodbye to Adrien before they were out of eyesight.

For once, Marinette was glad Lila's lies came in handy.

The silence around the two was deafening; they awkwardly stood in the middle of the sidewalk. A car rolled by here and there, but nothing else changed. It would have been cute if they weren't so awkward around each other, just standing without exchanging any words.

"So, uh, you still wanna go to Andre's?" Marinette squeaked, her voice cracking. It was embarrassing, her cheeks flaring red; if she could dig a hole and disappear into it, Marinette happily would have done so.

Adrien nodded, smiling. "Yeah, sounds like a good idea. I never get to eat any sweets, so that'll be nice to stray away from my strict diet," he admitted, the both of strolling along the streets. The air was cold around them, calm and serene as they both found the courage to strike up a conversation.

They had more in common than they thought. Andre's was in sight, and he, fortunately, wasn't busy today. The icecream man saw the young couple and smiled, offering them free ice cream (of course, Andre never charged couples who stopped by).

"You're the best, Andre," Adrien thanked, handing Marinette her ice cream, and they both took a seat on the bench, staring at the orange-pink sunset. It was beautiful, alluring, and romantic all simultaneously; nothing could disturb this peaceful and serene atmosphere. The air was still as Adrien faced Marinette, smiling (that smile could make Marinette drool and sink to her knees; God, he was gorgeous). "I'm glad my father let me out of the house and spend the evening with you, Marinette."

Marinette nodded, awkwardly smiling as a red blush spread across her porcelain cheeks like an infection. "Of course, what are friends for?" she laughed, finishing the last of her icecream. Friends, the word felt so foreign on her tongue, it didn't sound right. The baker wanted to be more than friends with Adrien; she loved him, but she would settle with being friends for now. It would be better this way, and they could grow closer with time.

Adrien was torn from his thoughts when his phone vibrated furiously, a bell noise ringing out. He apologized to his peer and answered the call, a frown immediately settling on his lips before he sighed, mumbling, "Yes, I'll be waiting." The blonde turned off his cellphone and shoved his phone in his back pocket, aimlessly kicking at the air. "That was my father; my bodyguard is coming back to the theatre to pick me up. I kind of wish I had more time to spend with you. You're nice to hang out with, Marinette," Adrien revealed, smiling cheekily.

She swore she would have died and go to heaven when Adrien said that. Wow, Adrien liked hanging out with Marinette, Paris's clumsiest fashion design ever to live. It made her insides swell, her heart beating madly against her chest, threatening to burst out of her ribcage. "I enjoy hanging out with you too, Adrien. I would like to spend more time with you. I mean, if you'd like to or if your dad would even let you ut the house, it must be lonely in there."

Adrien laughed, albeit it was forced, and rubbed his arm. "My dad seems to like you a lot; he says you have a lot of talent and the only other person he would trust around me. That says a lot, and none of my other friends get to hang out with me," he stated, strolling alongside Marinette.

With flaming red cheeks, Marinette tripped over her words, silently cursing to herself. Nice going, klutz, she berated, idly messing with her purse. "Well, let's hope your dad lets you out of the house more. Even though our time together was cut short, I would like to do this again; hopefully, with no akuma attacks," she replied, a giggle following after—it was cute; it suited her.

"Yeah! I would love to! Maybe the park or the arcades? It's no fun playing games by yourself," Adrien snorted playfully. How he could joke about something so depressing was indeed beyond Marinette; he must have felt trapped in that prison Gabriel dares to call home. If this were a Disney movie, Adrien would be Rapunzel, trapped away in his lonely tower by his evil father.

Hell, they almost bore similar features if she squinted hard enough and identical lifestyles. To be trapped, hidden away from the outside world, ruled over, and to dance like a marionette. It was heartbreaking.

When the two arrived at the theatre, they sat along the sidewalk, chatting about trivial things until the limo rolled up. The engine roared, and Gorilla slowly lowered the window, not speaking, but his eyes already said everything. _Your father is waiting, Adrien._

The blonde stood to his feet, sighing. "Well, it was nice seeing you, Mari. See you in class tomorrow."

"Wait! Adrien, your jacket," Marinette squealed, returning the article of clothing to the model.

He handed it right back, sliding inside of the limo. "Go ahead and keep it. I got more at home, plus it looks good on you. Later." When the door shut, Gorilla wasted no time pulling off. The engine growled, coming alive before they left, traveling down the narrow Parisian streets before they were out of eyesight, leaving a dazed Marinette.

She stood there; mouth gaped while holding onto his jacket. Adrien called her Mari; holy shit, he called her by a nickname. Her heart pounded in her chest, holding the jacket close, and she smiled. It was a start; it could be the start of something new, but the fashion designer wasn't going to get her hopes off.

_But still_ , Marinette thought, pressing the fabric to her cheek, _it was a nice feeling._

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

When the morning came, Marinette scrambled out of bed upon hearing her blaring alarm, Tikki shouting in her ear, and her mother knocking against the trap door, informing the pig-tailed girl that she was late for school. "Why didn't I set my alarm sooner!!" she squealed, hastily tossing off her nightclothes, donning her usual attire. After quickly brushing her teeth and hair, grabbing a croissant from the bowl in the kitchen, she darted out of the bakery and down the crowded Parisian streets.Ms. Bustier would have her head for being late again.

Or worse: give her detention. Marinette has never had detention before.

With quick feet, Marinette slipped inside the school, dashed down the empty halls, and tried sneaking into her class. Unfortunately, Lady Luck was not on her side, stumbling over her feet with her books pressed to her chest. The ginger looked up, sighing while smiling. "How nice of you to join us, Marinette. Care to explain why you're late this time?" she asked.

She stuttered, fumbling over her words. "I-I—er— I was helping my parents get the bakery opened up, and I lost track of time. I'm so sorry, Ms. Bustier, I promise I'll try to be on time tomorrow," she apologized, giving a slight bow, gathering up her books.

"There's no need to apologize— actions speak louder than words. Please take a seat so we may begin our lesson. Alya can tell you about the two students we have in our class now, and perhaps you can talk to them after class if their classes aren't too far from yours," Ms. Bustier mused, handing Marinette a paper, and she slid next to Alya.

Walking to her seat, she caught Lila in the corner of her eye, and that smirk—dark and haunting, sent shivers rippling down her spinal cord. For now, she would just ignore but, Marinette would still be cautious of the Italian girl. She wouldn't allow Lila to get the jump on her. Plus, she still had her friends, and they would believe her.

"Took you two long enough. We got new students, and they're twins," Alya explained, gesturing to where Lila was sitting and towards the back where Selene was seated. "The boy is Kieran, and the girl is Iris; moved from Spain, and they have beautiful accents. Hell, they're pretty hot too if you ask me," she teased, suggestively raising her eyebrows—of course, it was in a joking manner.

"I like Iris' aesthetic," the fashion designer absentmindedly stated, admiring the other girl's pastel goth aesthetic—it was a combination of goth and Lolita. Still, it worked so well with her bouncy, colorful pigtails. "Should we invite them to sit with us for lunch?" Marinette asked.

With an excited nod, Alya stated, "Hell yeah. Plus, I can ask them more questions, like if they know about Ladybug and Chat Noir? Oh, and we can give them the inside scoop about Paris and tell them about the crazy things that happen in our school."

Ms. Bustier promptly scolded the two for interrupting her class with their talking, giving the girls a fair warning before turning back to the chalkboard, proceeding with her lesson. The two girls giggled, taking their notes, and decided to pass messages back and forth instead.

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When class let out, Marinette trailed after Alya, following her to class. The new twins, Kieran and Iris, were walking with Lila, the two girls chatting while Kieran tucked his thumbs in his back pocket. Part of her wanted to go over, but the blue-haired girl decided against it. Besides, she couldn't be late for her other classes today.

"So, I meant to ask you: how was your date with Adrien? Did you two kiss?" Alya teased.

Her cheeks burned red, swatting Alya's arm. "N-No, we didn't kiss! There was an akuma attack, so we didn't get to finish the movie, but we got ice cream with the time we had left. His father wanted him home because of the attack; he also let me keep his jacket," Marinette mumbled.

Alya congratulated Marinette, playfully punching her best friend in the arm. "We love the progress, girl. Baby steps, Mari, baby steps," she cooed, draping her arm across Marinette's shoulders. "Hopefully, you'll be able to form a sentence without becoming a mess."

With a playful shove, Marinette whined before smiled, agreeing with Alya. Today was going to be a good day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Iris, Kieran, Mad Hatter, and Selene are all original characters; Iris, Mad Hatter, and Selene belong to me while my friend owns Kieran. For faster updates, follow my Wattpad account: 1800SADOMASOCHIST


	4. WHY WORRY

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lila is putting her plans into motion, using the new girl to paint Marinette as the baby guy. Of course, no one would believe Lila over Marinette. Right?

Marinette, sadly, had to part ways with Alya. They hugged each other, promising to find each other during their lunch period. Alya went to her photography/media class while the fashion designer slid into her art class. Usually, she would sit next to Nathaniel, but he was sitting next to his good friend, Marc. She's convinced they were dating, especially when Nathaniel turned red whenever Marc complimented his art style.

She took a seat near the center of the class, setting her bags down, and retrieved her sketchbook. Granted, Marinette wasn't the most artistic girl—well, her anatomy sucked when it came to writing bodies—but her sketches were perfect when designing clothes. Yes, they were messy, but she still could produce good quality material at the end of the day. There were only a few minutes until class started, so Marinette supposed that getting a quick sketch out wouldn't be so bad. Plus, she had so many ideas thanks to Mad Hatter's overall design—Hawkmoth sometimes created the ugliest outfit for his akumas, but some of them could make a pretty penny if he weren't corrupt.

Her pencil glided across the paper, sucked into her work as the time trickled by slowly, coming to a slow crawl, but it was okay; Marinette didn't like being rushed, anyway. Her craft was a slow and tedious task, but the results paid off in spades. A smile crept to her pink lips, drinking in the sight of her sketch. True, it was messy, but once she purchased the fabrics and materials for the matching dress and suit, it would be perfect.

"Wow, your sketches are beautiful! My mama would adore your talent," came the sound of a thick, feminine, Spanish accent. Marinette damn near jumped out her skin, smothering her sketchbook to her bosom as she whipped around; mouth gaped as she stared at the pastel gothic Lolita—Iris, was her name, right? The transfer student giggled, taking a seat next to the French-Chinese girl, crossing her ankles. "I didn't mean to sneak up on you like that. You have an outstanding design in that book of yours; I'm guessing you're an aspiring fashion designer?" she asked.

Marinette bobbed her head up and down, swallowing the thick lump lodged in her throat, trying to find the right words. "Uh yeah, I wanna design clothes one day for a big company like Gabriel Agreste or even Audrey Bourgeois," she admitted, cheeks burning as she nervously shuffled in her chair. It's not like Marinette didn't trust Iris; it was just that she was on edge. Lila had declared war on her yesterday for spending quality time with Adrien—a date as Alya would call it—and now, two students appeared the day after. It seemed suspicious, questionable even, but she couldn't make assumptions about Iris.

Assumptions would only make an ass out of her. Besides, Iris seemed so lovely and soft-spoken—her accent was so pretty and enticing too.

"I see! With your designs, it could be possible for you even to start your brand line!" Iris encouraged, eyes glistening with excitement before she began rambling in Spanish. Marinette couldn't keep up with the conversation as Iris spoke so passionately and quickly. Iris talked with her hands, too, making grand gestures as she went on and on, enthusiastically leaning forwards, smiling. "Sorry if I'm annoying you. I just really like getting to know people first, and I'm new here, so yeah. Plus, I think you're beautiful," she mumbled, cheeks burning as she toyed with her pig-tails.

A matching blush scattered across Marinette's cheeks as she bit her bottom lip. The baker got compliments daily, but it felt different coming from Iris, especially when her face was burning red—redder than a rose. "Thank you. I think you're pretty too," she shot back, tapping her pencil along the edge of the desk.

Iris couldn't help but bounce in her seat, leaning against Marinette. "You're a lot nicer than I thought," she exclaimed out, tapping her nails along the spine of her sketchbook.

"What do you mean?" Marinette questioned.

The Spanish-hailing girl stumbled over her words, struggling and taking breaks between each "Um" and "Ah." Nervously, Iris fiddled with her fingers before mumbling, "Well, uh, some people were saying how you could get clingy when it comes to Adrien and that you were rude, but I didn't want to believe it. I don't like judging people, and I want to get to know everyone before I decide if they're a nice person."

Marinette had an idea who could have planted that silly idea in Iris' head. It was gross, spreading lies about her, especially when two new students had just recently transferred. Adjusting in her chair, Marinette reached for Iris' hand and brushed her thumb against the smooth, tanned flesh, smiling. "I promise you I'm not as bad as people say I am. I was wondering if you would like to sit with Alya and me at lunch today. Show you around Paris later too, if that's alright?" she asked.

Iris bobbed her head up and down happily, excitement glistening in her eyes. "Oh! I would love to! I never had friends to hang out with!" she gushed, leaning forward, and clasped Marinette's petite hands. "We're going to have so much fun together, I promise!" she added.

Marinette nodded as the art teacher strolled in, instructing his students to take out their sketchbooks. The fashion designer watched Iris remove a composition notebook from her pastel pink bag, offering her sketching pencil when Iris mumbled about not owning any good pencils for this class. The Spanish girl graciously accepted the pencil, smiling before they both turned to listen to their teacher's instructions. It was a simple task: draw something that brings them joy. She (Marinette) could have quickly drawn Adrien, but she didn't want to look weird (or give into Lila's plan).

Drawing herself as Ladybug and Chat Noir would have been a good choice had she not been a terrible actor and a worse liar; there was a good chance their teacher would ask why they choose to draw whatever was on their paper, and Marinette would make a fool out of herself. Her secret would be out of the bag.

Marinette settled on sketching out her and Alya together. Alya was the second reason why she became so confident in herself and able to speak up for herself. Alya was always standing up for her as Marinette and praising her as Ladybug; it made her heart sing with euphoria. It was reassuring having a friend like Alya around.

Iris leaned over, bedazzled with Marinette's sketch. "That girl next to you—she's pretty," she mumbled, "is that the girl you were talking with earlier?"

"Yeah, that's my friend, Alya. She was a new student, and she helped me gain my confidence," Marinette explained, unlocking her phone, and pulled up a picture of her friend group. She pointed to the two of them, arms draped across each other's shoulders as they smiled, almost knocking Nino in the photo. "Alya is one leaning on me, then we have her dork boyfriend, and the blonde is—"

"Oh! That's Mr. Agreste's son!" Iris chirped, noticing how happy Adrien looked. "Wow, he looks so happy in these photos—it's a natural smile too!" she added.

Marinette raised an eyebrow. "Oh, you know Adrien?"

Irish nodded her head, unlocking her phone to show Marinette pictures of the two of them together—a photoshoot that their parents had arranged last minute. "We know each other through our parents; Mr. Agreste and my father are business partners. We promoted his company back in Spain—he's very popular—and we decided to move to France so they could manage easier meetings instead of constantly traveling. I'm sure Mr. Agreste would rather be spending his time with Adrien than seeing my father in Spain," she mused.

Marinette agreed, helping Iris start her sketch, going over some references—Iris let Marinette take charge as she believed Marinette would have more experience in this area rather than her. Thankfully, their teacher encouraged the students to collaborate and help each other with their artwork. The two girls worked well together, chatting as they made adjustments to their sketches. They told each other embarrassing stories that made them cackle and shriek with delight, having to be told to lower their voices not to disturb the others.

Iris wasn't that bad to hang out with.

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The last period Marinette had before lunch was a free period, formally known as study hall, and she, fortunately, shared it with Iris and Alya. It made it easy to group before lunch, getting introductions out of the way, and showing the new girl to the cafeteria.

"We're going to have so much fun together!" Alya squealed, dragging Iris and Marinette into the cafeteria, a hand clamped around their narrow wrists. "You just have to tell me about yourself—did I mention you're beautiful, and I just love your hair? It's so long and curly," she rambled on, handing Marinette and Iris two trays.

Iris burned red, taking the tray from Alya. "Stooop, you're embarrassing me," she whined.

"Well, stop being so easy to embarrass," Alya snickered, snagging a sorbet cup, moving along in the line as she asked Iris more questions, rambling on.

Leave it to Alya, questioning the transfer students the first chance she got. Oh, she tried asking Kieran early, but he instantly shut her down with a burning glare, sending shivers down Alya's spine. Commonly, Alya would have perused him regardless of his cold rays and intimidating aura, but Kieran was a particular case. A case she didn't feel like unpacking today. Besides, Iris was more inclined to talk and open already, like a book.

"Oh! Can Lila sit with us?" Iris asked, leaning on the Italian girl as she joined the lunch line. "I got to talk with her during the first period, and she's going to help me with translating—I'm still struggling with French, and Lila knows Italian," she added.

Marinette choked on her breath. Eating with the enemy? There's no way in hell she could manage that; Lila was up to no good, that was for sure, and she was going to use Iris to get as close to her as possible, Marinette calculated. There was no good outcome for either choice the baker made; if she said no, Iris would believe whatever lie Lila concocted, and that would make Marinette look bad in the end. If the blue-haired girl said yes, Lila would get closer to her goal of ruining Marinette's life. Maybe, if she played her cards right, she (Marinette) could figure out a way around the Italian's web.

"Sure, the more, the merrier," Marinette forced out, gripping the sides of her tray until her knuckles blossomed a ghost white, smiling. Lila returned the smile, taunting the baker with her eyes.

Lila thanked Marinette. "You're _so_ kind, Marinette. I hope you don't mind if I translate for Iris. She is my best friend, after all," she taunted, swiping her tongue across her lower lip.

"No, no, I don't mind at all. I wouldn't want to make Iris uncomfortable, especially because she's such a nice girl, unlike _some_ people," Marinette bit out.

Lila's olive-green eyes dwindled. "Oh, I'm positive that you want to make Iris as comfortable as possible; hopefully, she enjoys your presence unlike some people," she shot back, smiling teasingly as the four of them left the line. Marinette was between Iris and Lila, Alya on the left side of the Spanish, and that was perfect for Lila's next plan; poor Marinette was so clumsy, a klutz even, and she never had a good grip.

As they rounded the corner and Iris was in front of Marinette, Lila darted her foot out, tripping Marinette. The tray went flying out of the fashion designer's hand, and her food caked Iris' backside, staining the expensive fabric with meat sauce and rainbow sorbet. "Oh, God! Oh, God!" Marinette exclaimed as Iris stood in the middle of the lunchroom, horrified as she gingerly touched her back, grimacing when her fingers were coated in hot, red sauce.

"Damn, Marinette, that was no need to fling your tray at her back," Lila scoffed, pushing the shorter girl out of her way, gently dabbing the sauce with her spare napkins. She rubbed Iris's shoulder reassuringly, calming her down as she escorted her out of the cafeteria, shooting a glare at Marinette before they left.

Marinette stammered, explaining to Alya that she never threw her tray at Iris, and she just tripped. It was an accident, that was it, and Lila was lying through her teeth. Alya just shrugged her shoulders, not sure who to believe, and sat down with Adrien and Nino.

The designer sighed, hitting her head against the table. Great, Lila was pulling ahead, and who knows what lies she was telling Iris. Marinette liked Iris, she was fun to talk to, and Adrien spoke about how great she was. She poked at her salad, frowning. It wasn't because Adrien spoke highly of Iris, but because Iris was alone with Lila right, and Lila was a crafty little snake.

"Girl, chill. They'll be out after Iris gets cleaned up. In the meantime, we should plan another day out; there's a new horror movie coming, and I've been dying to see it," Alya teased.

"No way, horror is too scary," Nino shivered.

"That's the whole point, dork," Adrien laughed.

The boys playfully argued with each other as Alya doubled over with laughter, gripping her stomach. Marinette weakly smiled, doubt churning in her stomach. It took Lila and Iris a long time—maybe Lila wasn't going to use Iris and was threatening her as Lila did to Marinette. That's the last thing she (Marinette) wanted for Iris to fall victim to Lila's threat.

She stood up, excusing herself from the table, and went off to the bathroom. It was oddly quiet as Marinette poked her head in, not spotting Iris or Lila as she stepped in; how odd. "Iris?" she called out, checking the stalls, but didn't see the Spanish girl, nor did she see the Italian girl. All the stalls were empty; _strange_.

"Looking for Iris?" came Lila's smooth voice, shutting the door behind them. Marinette groaned beneath her breath. Every time these two crossed paths, it was always in the bathroom. Receiving no answer, Lila took a step forward. "It's a shame, Marinette. You just missed her; called her mom to get a change of clothes after you purposely got spaghetti on her dress. Were you jealous that she was closer to Adrien than you'll _ever_ be?" she taunted.

"I'm not you, Lila, and I would never do that to Iris. Unlike _you_ , she's a nice girl. You're just a liar," Marinette snapped.

Lila poked her lips out, pretending to wipe the tears from her eyes. "Honestly, your words cut deep, Marinette. What did I do to deserve this?" she mocked, rubbing her eyes before laughing, swaying her hips as she strolled towards the designer. "Honestly, did you think you would win this war by getting Iris on your side? Trust me; you won't be able to. She's already closer to me than she is to you, Marinette. Soon, your friends will slowly, but surely, become my friends, and you'll end up all alone like the dirty loser you are," she sneered.

"That's not going to happen, Lila. It wouldn't hurt you to tell the truth, and maybe, just maybe, people would _actually_ like you," Marinette spat.

Lila blinked. It was quiet for a brief moment before the Italian girl broke out laughing, gripping her aching stomach. Her cheeks burned cherry red as she howled with laughter, shaking her head. "Like me? Honey, people _love_ me, and where's the fun in that? I only tell people what they _want_ to hear," she snickered, advancing towards Marinette, matching her footsteps, trapping her against the wall. "To everyone, I have a perfect life, even that annoying spoiled brat Chloe is jealous of me, and I intend to keep it that way. You and that little insect, Ladybug, piss me off, always trying to play hero when in reality, you both are pathetic. A klutzy, wannabe fashion designer who chases after a boy who won't even give her a second glance and a loser bug which uses a damn yo-yo to fight while wearing a ridiculous red jumpsuit. At least her feline partner has some sense of style, and he's tolerable," she snickered.

"At least, Ladybug doesn't have to lie," was Marinette's retort.

Lila rolled her eyes. "Oh please, she keeps her identity a secret; lying by omission is still lying, so in reality, Ladybug is no better than I am, in your words, Marinette," she chuckled, dwindling her almond-shaped eyes. Pulling away, the hazel-haired girl hummed, pressing her finger against Marinette's exposed collarbone, satisfied when the shorter girl hissed in pain, drawing blood. "You're going to regret screwing with me; I promise you that," Lila declared, patting Marinette's cheek before pivoting on the ball of her heel, and strolled out of the bathroom.

When the bathroom door shut, Marinette collapsed to the floor. Her body was shaking, her heartbeat was irregular, and she couldn't control her breathing. Fuck, was she scared? Maybe, it was a good chance that she took Lila's threats to heart without realizing it. She needed to calm down, talk to Iris when she got the opportunity, and clear everything up. Marinette could never forgive herself if Lila managed to seduce Iris to her side; she hated to admit it, but Lila was brilliant— _crafty_ too.

Going after the new student was a clever but dirty trick; it would be easy to paint a Marinette in a false light, and sooner or later, Lila could get everyone trailing down that rabbit hole if Iris believed her lies.

No, Marinette needed to think positive. She couldn't think of the worst, nor could she afford being turned into an akumatized villain. She was Ladybug for crying out loud; she would expose Lila's true colors and prove her innocent; she was sure of it.

Smacking her burning cheeks, Marinette sprang to her feet and fixed her clothes. She promptly exited the bathroom, returning to her friend group, and informed them that they probably wouldn't see Iris today—explaining that she probably went home because of the spaghetti incident. The blue-haired girl glanced over her shoulder. Bluebell eyes meeting olive-green eyes, eyes dwindling as Lila passed, wearing a smirk on her plush lips.

Marinette sighed, eating her apple. There was no need to worry. There was no way that anyone would believe Lila over Marinette.


	5. END IN TRAGEDY

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the end of the school day draws near, Marinette and Lila have engaged in a battle—a metaphorical chess game; Marinette just needed to capture Lila’s king first.

The rest of the school day was tedious, boring, and unimpressive. Marinette sat in her last class, aimlessly staring out the window as the teacher rambled on, explaining quadratic expressions—boring math equations that she didn't care about, nor did she understand. She was still shaken up from Lila trapping her in the bathroom again; Lila was intelligent, Marinette hated to admit, and if she wasn't careful, Lila could bring her world crashing down around like a castle of glass.

Her mentality couldn't handle it.

Her head popped up off her desk, staring at the teacher as they passed out the end task. Ugh, Marinette hated these; she was always the last one to leave the class because she couldn't answer the question correctly and needed the extra help. The teacher assured the fashion designer that she wasn't a burden, and it was okay to ask for additional support. Still, Marinette was stubborn and headstrong and hated asking for any sort of help. She did it in her civilian form, and she did it while as Ladybug; it was a bad habit that Marinette needed to control.

"Dupain-cheng," came a voice behind her. Marinette damn near jumped out of her skin, the hairs in her arm standing up as she whipped her head around, awkwardly waving at the raven-haired boy who looked down on her. He handed her his exit task paper, snatching her paper away from her. "Honestly, the question isn't that hard to answer," he grumbled, quickly jolting down the answer, and got up from his seat. Thankfully, the teacher wasn't paying attention and took the answer slips without questioning the handwriting.

Marinette would have thanked him had he not run off, grumbling curses between his breath. She stood there, flabbergasted, but didn't chase after him. Alya was right; the new guy was a strange case. She packed her bags, handed the slip to the teacher, and slipped out the door. She was tired, and the only thing Marinette wanted to do was stuff her face with the pastries her parents set aside for her. Her mouth was drooling just thinking about the raspberry macaroons her father prepared earlier this morning; they were so damn good.

"Oh, Marinette," came Alya's teasing voice, draping her arms across Marinette's narrow shoulders, wearing a teasing smile. "I have some juicy news for you; it's about your favorite blonde."

"Oh? And who would my favorite blonde happen to be?" Marinette taunted, barring her eyelashes innocently.

Alya snickered, playfully punching Marinette in the arm. "You know who I'm talking about. Your eye candy, your Prince Charming. God, the man you want to marry and have a family with, you big dummy! Adrien!" she shouted. When Marinette burned red, Alya's smile only grew, leading her friend out the door, unlocking her phone. "Now that we're on the same page, your boy has a photo shoot scheduled for three today, and from what the news is saying, someone else is supposed to be there with him, a business partner, maybe? What do you think, Mari?"

Marinette tugged on her ribbons, shrugging her shoulders. "It could be; it would be surprising as Mr. Agreste tends to work alone from what Adrien had told us. Why the sudden change?"

"Maybe it's Adrien's fiancé," Alya mused.

The blue-haired designer choked on her saliva; her eyes widened in horror as she squeaked, grabbing Alya's wrist. "Don't make jokes like that! That's not funny," she whined, frowning when Alya laughed, scrolling through her phone again.

"I forget how in love you are; relax, I'm sure Gabriel wouldn't marry Adrien off—he can't _be_ that cruel," Alya trailed off, a silence falling over the two girls. Gabriel wasn't the best dad, anyone could tell you that, but he wasn't cruel enough to marry off his sixteen-year-old son; that would be irrational and insane. Clearing her throat, Alya proceeded to relay the news to her love-sicken friend. "It says that the theme of the photoshoot's centered around the Victorian era. Ooooh, what do you think about that? Seeing Adrien decked out in Victorian-styled clothes," she taunted, nudging her elbow into Marinette's side.

Marinette whined; she loved Alya to pieces, but she was such a tease when it came to her (Marinette's) crush on the model. Thankfully, she was working on her self-control and wasn't _as_ possessive as she was months ago (unless she counted the one time she "accidentally" tripped Chloe). "Don't tease me, Alya. I really wanna go take a peek at Adrien's clothes; he would look so good in a suit," she admitted, chewing her bottom lip.

"Well? Let's get a move on then—Lila, hey! You coming with?" Alya asked, waving down the shorter girl; Marinette grumbled under her breath.

Lila raised an eyebrow before letting an "oh" sound. "Yes, I am! I'm close friends with the girl Adrien is modeling with today. Did you know that, Marinette?" she taunted, a sly smile resting on her lips.

Marinette rolled her eyes, going along with the lie. "No, Lila, I had no idea that you were friends with the girl Adrien was modeling with? If that's the case, can we get a name? Alya would love it for her fashion blog, plus I can ask your friend for some fashion tips; that wouldn't be a problem, right?" she hummed, resting her hands on her hips.

"I can't reveal it just yet; she's super nervous and hates being put on the spot. How about this: why don't we all just walk down to the park and wait for Adrien and his partner to show up?" Lila suggested.

Marinette wanted to scoff; Of course, Lila was going to avoid answering the question and pull a lame excuse out of her ass. There's no way Lila knew the name of the model; she was going to call her bluff and prove to Alya that Lila was nothing more than a rotten lying, stringing her along for the ride. She smiled, following Alya and Lila to the park, giving Tikki a knowing glance as the kwamii frowned.

"So, Lila, is this friend of yours pretty?" Alya questioned, camera in Lila's face, practically invading her personal space as Marinette snickered.

"Yes, she's beautiful!" Lila answered, taking a seat on the bench. "You're in for a real treat; she's as nice as she is pretty."

Marinette planted herself next to Alya, crossing her legs. Not many people were in the park beside the crew setting up for the photo shoot, the makeup artists, and the photographer. "So, Lila, if you're close friends with this model, mind giving us details about her physical appearance, maybe we've heard of her before? Alya and I do read a lot of magazines on the weekends," Marinette prodded.

"Silly Marinette, I can't do that. If I have away anything about her physical appearance, it will give her away, and she wanted me to keep a secret for now. A lot of people tend to get jealous when you know a celebrity. People around the world are jealous of our school because we get to talk to Adrien," Lila hummed, a smile resting on her lips. "Do you think I'm lying, Marinette?"

"Yes," was the blue-haired girl's quick response.

Alya frowned, lowering her camera. "Marinette, chill. Just because Lila is protecting her friend's identity, for now, doesn't mean she's lying; I thought we talked about this before, girlie. If you knew Ladybug's identity, you wouldn't tell everyone, right? You would want to keep that a secret as Hawkmoth can't know about her, and it's out of respect for her. That's all Lila's doing," she retorted, raising her camera, and started recording, not caring for Marinette's riposte.

Marinette opened her mouth but shut it, gripping her pants. She could see a smug smirk etched on Lila's lip while chatting with Alya, discussing the photoshoot details. The fashion designer was sure Lila was lying, telling Alya what she wanted to hear; it was cruel to lead her best friend on like that. How dare she, the young baker thought, anger festering beneath her skin, digging her nails into her thighs. How dare Lila make her look like the bad guy when she was lying without hesitation, all while wearing an innocent smile.

She was _cruel_.

"Lila? Alya? Marinette? What a surprise to see you all here," Adrien said heartily, scratching the back of his head as he approached them, careful not to wrinkle the expensive fabric—Gabriel would have a fit if Adrien ruined the clothing. "Usually, no one comes in the park when I'm scheduled to take photos. Either you three got invited by today's partner, or my father has decided to be lenient," he mumbled, adjusting the blood-red cravat, and smoothed out the creases.

Before Lila had a chance to explain, Marinette began talking. "Well, Lila here said that she knew the girl that you're taking pictures with, and Alya and I were wanting to get to see how pretty she is. Isn't that right, Lila?" the baker asked, the corners of her lips stretching into a knowing smile, taunting the girl in orange, watching as she began stammering, trying to explain herself, but Marinette couldn't help but laugh beneath her breath; now, Alya would know that Lila was nothing more than a selfish liar—

"Finally, I meant to find you, Lila," came a thick, masculine voice, approaching the trio of girls and Adrien. Kieran had changed from his dark colors to a light white polo shirt with brown khaki pants; his hair was unruly, curls pressed against his pale face. "My sister is excited to see you; she kept saying how she couldn't wait to show you the dresses she's wearing," Kieran mocked, rolling his eyes as Marinette's heart sank and Lila's smile grew.

"See? I told you I wasn't lying," Lila hummed, twirling her hair around her index finger, standing up to her feet. "Is it okay if I go see her right now? I wanted to give her the notes from chemistry class," she added, patting her satchel.

Kieran gestured to the set-up in the back, waving his hand. "She should be getting her makeup or getting ready to style her hair; you would probably be someone Iris would rather sit next to. I don't want to listen to her ramble on," he grunted, trading place with Lila. When Lila took off, thanking Kieran, he clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes, dusting off his tight-fitting pants.

Alya started recording, excited as she began asking questions. "Soooo, how are you and your sister enjoying Paris so far? How long have you been working with the Agreste family?" she asked, leaning forward; Marinette tried easing her enthusiastic friend back, gently reminding her of personal space, but the ombré-haired girl paid her no mind. "What's it like in Spain? Anything you miss? Do you have any old friends that you miss— _oh_! Do you know about Ladybug and Chat Noir—"

Kieran promptly snatched the phone away from Alya, dangling the device over her head. "You know, I wouldn't have minded if you asked one question, but goodness, do you know how to shut the hell up? You not only shove this stupid thing in my face, but you kept poking and prying into my past life in Spain; what rude manners you have," he mocked with a cruel smile, keeping the phone out of Alya's grasp. He had five inches on her, so it was amusing for Kieran to watch Alya try to snatch her phone; he clicked his tongue, leaning backward. "Now, don't do that. You could make me fall, and I could break it. That would suck for you."

"Kieran, give her phone back; you could just ask her not to be all in your face," Marinette defended, hopping to her feet.

"Yeah, there's no need to be rude," Adrien jumped on, resting one hand on the taller boy's shoulder.

Kieran jerked away from Adrien, rolling his eyes. "Fine, I'll give it back since I'm so generous," he mocked, his tone dripping with sarcasm as Alya's hazel eyes glistened with excitement, holding her hand out for her phone. Her fingers almost brushed against the corner of her phone when Kieran dropped it, promptly crushing the handheld device underneath his foot with a twisted grin. "Oops. Damn, my hand must have slipped. I'm so clumsy," he mocked, watching the color drain from Alya's face, her bottom lip quivering.

"What the hell was that for!? You didn't need to break her phone!" Adrien snapped, grabbing Kieran's shoulder. The taller boy mocked Adrien, pressing his finger against the blonde's collar bone.

"Well, look at you, lil mister perfect," Kieran jeered, curling his lips into a cruel sneer. "Your father certainly raised you to be an ass kisser, that's for sure! Look at daddy's little boy, being the golden child he was always intended to be. Roll over, and maybe I'll scratch your belly if you keep your nose down, puppy," he laughed cruelly, tossing a glance over his shoulder, his smile widening when Alya gathered the broken cellphone, holding it up in horror. "Maybe you'll like twice about shoving things in anyone's faces. Reporters are too damn nosey these days."

"I saved all of my work on here, and you broke it!" Alya snapped, blinking back tears that blurred her vision. When Kieran shrugged, implying that he felt no remorse for destroying her property, Marinette had to hold her back, wincing when Alya roared, throwing every curse word she knew and then some. "You're a piece of shit! You're worse than Chloe, and she's a grade-A bitch in everyone's book!" she sneered, baring her teeth.

Kieran examined his nails, not caring about what Alya said, and then proceeded to yawn dramatically. "You act like I care, Alya; I don't. You shouldn't have stuck your phone in my face. Maybe you should be taught some manners before calling me a bitch or implying I'm one," he mocked, smirking when Marinette and Adrien shot him a burning glare. To add salt to the wound, Kieran removed his perfectly intact phone when it began to ring, raising it to his ear. "Mmm, yeah, I'll have your golden boy over in a bit. Just dealing with a temper tantrum right now; meet you in five," he responded, gesturing to the blonde. "Lucky for you, puppy, the others want you to go over to see Iris. You best run along, don't wanna make Daddy angry, now do you?" Kieran snickered.

Gritting his teeth, Adrien had no choice but to follow Kieran, giving his apologies to Marinette and Alya, leaving the girls to their own devices. Marinette stroked Alya's back, instructing the junior report to breathe in her nose and out of her mouth. "If you keep crying like this, you're going to make yourself throw up," she informed, getting a broken laugh from her sobbing friend, her heart throbbing when Alya squeezed her shattered phone. The baker helped her best friend to her feet, setting her down on the bench. "I'll get you some water and some tissues. Try to keep positive thoughts for now; I don't want you akumatized again," she mumbled, running to get Alya a bottle of water.

She headed out of the park to a little shop that was just around the corner; indeed, they would have some bottled water and tissues to spare. Initially, Marinette thought Kieran was a decent person as he did help her with the exit task for their math class, but he crushed Alya's phone without a second thought and felt no remorse when the reporter broke down into tears, cursing at him. Kieran was smiling; he was smug. He was worse than Chloe; at least she showed remorse and had regrets (though in her words, Chloe has few regrets).

Popping into the shop, she explained the situation to the shop owner, who happily handed Marinette a box of tissues and two bottles of water, refusing to take the money that was offered no matter how hard Marinette insisted on paying, and wished the Chinese-French a good day, offering a polite bow.

With a jog in her skip, Marinette rounded the corner, halting suddenly when a roar tore through the air, and the car went whirling through the air. She bolted, ducking into the alleyway, and held the water to her heaving chest. Marinette felt foolish for leaving Alya by herself, especially when she was bathing in her anger. It was only a matter of time before she got akumatized, but if Marinette was there, she could have helped Alya fight off Hawkmoth's little helper, help her fight off the negative emotions that festered in her heart.

Tikki popped her head out of Marinette's purse; a frown etched on her small face. "Marinette, we need to get going," she ordered, whizzing out a floating beside her friend, smiling when the baker nodded in agreement.

"Tikki spots on!" With a shout, a warm, radiant pink light washed over Marinette's body, replacing her everyday attire with the skin-tight, red spandex suit and her trusty yo-yo. Once she finished her transformation, Ladybug made her way towards the park, finding it in utter chaos. One thing was for sure: Alya was pissed. No one could blame her; some asshole just destroyed her work instead of handling the situation as a mature person would do.

Thankfully, the photographers got out safely, but Ladybug was worried about the others who didn't get out, such as Kieran, Lila, and Adrien (she couldn't abandon Lila and Kieran no matter how cruel they were). The trio was scattered; Adrien was hiding behind a tree, keeping an eye out for the akumatized villain. Lila was hiding amongst the horses in the carousel, while Kieran took refuge in the fountain (fortunately, the city workers had drained the fountain for cleaning). Now, all Ladybug needed to do was find Iris, who was nowhere to be found, and Alya. She could hear her yelling, demanding Kieran to expose himself, but couldn't spot her friend.

"Where's that cat when you need him?" Marinette mumbled, pressing a button, and split it in half, calling Chat Noir. She grew irritated when she received the dial tone and then the automated message; Alya was going to tear the city apart if she didn't get her hands on Kieran, and Ladybug couldn't do this on her own. Until Chat Nour got here, she could help the three get out of the park; she was confused why they didn't leave when the others did. She approached Adrien first, caught him off guard. "Ah—sorry! I didn't mean to catch you off guard, but are you okay? Why didn't you three leave with the others?" she asked.

Adrien nervously scratched the back of his head, "Kinda hard to leave when you got another pair of eyes on you that don't belong to either Chat Noir or you, Ladybug," he stated, discreetly gesturing to the figure that loomed atop the building. Ladybug could barely make out the figure, but she knew that the person on the rooftop couldn't be Alya—no screams were coming from that direction. "After Alya got akumatized, almost everyone in the park high tailed it out of here, except for Lila, Kieran, and I; there wasn't enough time after they made an appearance," he added.

Ladybug could deduce that the figure on the building wasn't an akuma, and it couldn't be Lila, Kieran, or Adrien as they were still in the park. The only reasonable person that could be was Iris; she was the only one out of the phone who wasn't in the park. She instructed Adrien to take Lila and Kieran out of the park (Alya was no where to be found at the time being), hoisting herself up onto the building, standing across from the figure.

Dressed in a similar spandex suit but black, the figure blinked, wrapping her fingers around her weapon—a sleek baton, and took a step back. Ladybug had to control her breathing, unraveling her yo-yo, staring into the depths of their haunting eyes.

Who knew the new girl was a miraculous holder?


End file.
